


Reunion

by MiteyMidget



Series: Reunion 'verse [1]
Category: Drake & Josh
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 18:58:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10905444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiteyMidget/pseuds/MiteyMidget
Summary: Summary: AU, Future fic in which the boys are not stepbrothers. They meet at their high school reunion.





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to LJ in June of 2008. Beta credit goes to amberdowny.

They meet, of all places, at their ten year high school reunion. The concept of it is a horrible cliché, and when they tell the story to their friends Josh is pretty sure that they're rolling their eyes internally. The reality of it, on the other hand, is a little less like it's coming straight out of some chick flick and more like a bomb going off in his head. 

See, Josh gets the invite in his mail a couple of months beforehand and he thinks, why not? Maybe there isn't a lot about him now that would impress all of his former classmates, but he thinks it would be fun to see the old crowd again. 

The event itself surpasses his expectations. Not that they'd been very high, but he does have a good time and even if he doesn't exactly impress people, at least they don't seem unimpressed. 

He's been there a couple of hours already, his suit starting to rumple and the punch in his hand gone lukewarm, when a loud murmur ripples through the crowd. He looks away from Craig and Eric, finds the source of the sudden commotion on the auditorium stage. Josh is only mildly surprised to see Drake Parker standing in the spotlight with a guitar in his hands. 

It's like a flashback from his past, looking up at Drake's ageless face. It sends a strange thrill through him to see him up there and to remember way back when. It's like he's sixteen again and watching Drake win the talent show for the third time in a row. Back when Josh was nothing but a confused mass of bright-eyed enthusiasm and frustrated hormones. God, Drake doesn't look like he's aged a day. 

As the din of the room roars louder, Drake takes a step closer to his microphone and brings his right index finger up to his lips. "Shhhh," he whispers, hardly loud enough to be heard. 

It's effective. The crowd quiets. Josh marvels at the hold Drake has over so many people, feels a small pang of envy. He's not sure he really wants all that attention, but he's sure that he could put some of that magnetism to use in the classroom. Getting his gaggle of eighth graders to pay attention is sometimes a chore. 

On stage, Drake cocks his head and shoots his captive audience a smirk. Without any further fanfare he starts to play one of his old tunes. Something he'd played in high school that had never ended up on any of his albums. 

He finishes to cheers and high pitched whistles. In true dramatic fashion Drake bows in return, even hampered by the guitar looped around his shoulder. When he straightens again, he's still all smiles. 

"Hey guys," he says and gives a little wave. "I'm sure you already know, but I'm Drake Parker and I'd just like to welcome the Class of 2008 back to Belleview High. Hope you all liked that walk down memory lane, but since you probably heard enough of me back in high school I'm gonna give up the stage for the rest of the night. It's time to party and have a little fun." 

A couple of voices pipe up to argue but one of the organizers of the event, a pretty woman with shiny blond hair, comes out and relieves Drake of his spotlight. The musician waves again and strides off the stage. 

After that the crowd disperses a little, people separating from the huge mass and starting to form into clumps again. It's almost like being at an old school dance. All of the old cliques are reuniting, assuming they'd ever really parted in the first place. 

Josh turns back to Craig and Eric and shakes his head in wonder. "Wow, some things never change." 

"How much do you think they paid him to sing for us tonight?" Craig asks, tugging unconsciously at the sleeves of an Oxford shirt that's just a tad too large for him. 

Eric frowns at him, eyebrows dipped in distaste. "You think he'd actually ask for money to play at his own high school reunion?" 

"Well, he is a superstar now," Craig says, shrugging his narrow shoulders. "Sometimes celebrities forget where they've come from." 

Josh considers it, but can't see Drake asking for money to play. It was just one song and he hadn't seen the performance listed on any of the flyers that were being handed out in the lobby. Besides, Drake has a very lucrative contract with a record label. Charging the reunion committee would be sort of like trying to fish in a lake when you've already got the entire ocean in your backyard. 

Craig and Eric's discussion turns into bickering and Josh leaves them to refill his cup at the punch bowl. The room is packed and humid from all of the body heat and he's parched, his tongue starting to feel like the Sahara desert. 

There's a suspiciously alcoholic smell coming from the punch, but Josh is desperate enough for a drink to ladle a generous amount into his cup. No matter what it feels like being here tonight, he's well past the age that drinking is an illicit activity. 

As he turns back towards the corner that he, Eric and Craig had claimed, someone bumps into his side, sloshing his drink all over his hand and the sleeve of his jacket. 

"Oh man, I am so sorry! Let me get that." 

Before Josh can protest his cup is pulled out of his hand and he's being wiped down with paper towels. Even if he'd wanted to protest he recognizes Drake almost immediately and the words are lodged somewhere in his throat. All he knows is that Drake Parker has got his hands on Josh's person. 

That's... pretty bizarre. Things like this just don’t happen to him. Josh teaches eighth grade science, his greatest source of entertainment is the Discovery channel. If someone were to put a picture next to the definition of ‘Ordinary’ in the dictionary it would be of Josh. This is so beyond ordinary that it’s not even on the same planet.

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, tugging his hands from the other man's grasp. "It's okay," he says, and he's surprised it doesn’t come out as a squeak. "No big deal. It'll wash." 

"You're sure?" Drake looks at him, his expression earnest. Close up, Josh finally notices some small signs of aging in Drake's face. His jaw has firmed and the skin around his mouth has tightened, hollowed out slightly. Over all he still looks younger than he is, but at least he's not entirely unchanged. 

"I'm sure," Josh reassures him. "I get covered in worse messes than this in class all the time." 

"Class? You still go to school?" 

"No, no." He shakes his head. "I teach now, at a middle school here in the city." 

"Ah." Drake smiles, wide and sincere. "You're good at it. Teaching, I mean. You tutored me a couple times in English and I don't think I'd have ever gotten away from Mrs. Hayfer without your help." 

Josh laughs as he remembers Drake's hate/hate relationship with their English teacher. "Yeah, I remember that. Wasn't sure that you would, though." 

"Are you kidding?" Drake gestures expansively, damp paper towel still in his hands. "You saved me from Mindy Crenshaw. How am I going to forget that?" 

At that Josh pretends to be offended. "She was my girlfriend, you know." 

"Sorry," Drake says, looking anything but. 

"Sorry for dissing my ex or sorry that she was ever my girlfriend in the first place?" 

"More the latter than the first," Drake admits unrepentantly. 

Josh drops the act. "At least you're honest." 

Drake's mouth opens his mouth to respond, but he's interrupted. "Mr. Parker?" It's one of the girls working with the reunion committee. She gestures towards the paper towel Drake is still holding. "Would you like me to take that?" 

Drake beams another of his megawatt smiles and hands the trash over to her. "Thanks! I'd started think I was going to have to take that as a souvenir when I left." 

"You're welcome, Mr. Parker, but it's what I'm here for. No need for thanks." 

"At least call me Drake," he says, and the girl blushes prettily. Josh is a little fascinated to see him in action. He'd watched Drake in the Premiere while he was on shift, but it had always been from a distance. The thing that surprises him the most is that there's no artifice in his flirtation. It's playful even if there's no real intent behind it. 

The girl wanders off appearing a little star struck, the paper towel clasped to her chest. Josh wonders if it's actually going to end up thrown out. He makes a note to check on eBay later. 

"Still as smooth as ever I see," he comments, shaking his head amusedly. 

Drake's expression turns rueful. "What can I say? It's a curse." 

"Would that we could all suffer such a hefty burden." 

"Shut up," Drake huffs, swats Josh in the arm. "It's not a big deal. I mean, everyone has their talents, right? Mine’s girls and music." 

"I find it slightly alarming that you consider girls a talent." 

"I've considered seeing a psychiatrist about it, but can you imagine the scandal in the papers when the story was inevitably leaked?" 

"Ah, well, just so long as you admit you have a problem." 

They beam at each other, enjoying the easy back and forth. Josh doesn't remember ever having talked to Drake like this when they were younger. Before the tutoring job, Josh hadn't said more than a handful of words to Drake. Even after that he'd always been a stickler of a teacher and Drake had been a reluctant pupil at the best of times. He'd always assumed that Drake had resented him for just how hard he'd pushed him in order to get that passing grade. Though pleasant, this whole experience is still a bit surreal. 

"Listen," Drake says, and he's glancing down at his watch. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I've gotta jet out of here soon. There's a couple people I promised I'd stop and say hi to, but I'm gonna be in town a couple days. How 'bout you meet me at the Brew Note tomorrow for old time's sake?" 

His eyebrows somewhere around his hairline, all Josh can do for a few moments is gape at him. "T-the Brew Note? Uh, yeah, I guess. They sold it, though. It's an Italian bistro now." 

"That's even better. We can do dinner, too." He reaches into his pocket and withdraws a small rectangular business card and a pen. Using the table at his side, he jots something on the back, then hands it over to Josh. "Here's my personal cell number. Call me any time tomorrow and we'll work something out. This has been fun."


End file.
